Welcome

FCAT (Fundación para la Conservación de los Andes Tropicales) consists of local residents and scientists committed to lasting conservation of biodiversity in the Tropical Andes in South America. Our core strategy is to empower local residents to obtain, interpret, and make use of reliable information to effectively conserve their rainforests. We focus on the Tropical Andes because they are among the most diverse and threatened habitats on Earth, meaning that loss of habitat has a disproportionately negative impact on biodiversity.

FCAT specializes in generating internationally shared, peer-reviewed scientific research, conducted for and by local residents. We provide information about how land use choices affect biodiversity and ecological processes, with a focus on endangered species. We use this information to educate local residents, to promote ecotourism and other alternatives, and to guide management decisions and land purchase for conservation. We focus our efforts in and around northwest Ecuador’s Mache Chindul Ecological Reserve, but also leverage our expertise in community-engaged research to help other governmental and non-governmental organizations achieve their research and conservation goals throughout the Tropical Andes region.